CANCELLED...

CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

I regret to inform you that the session scheduled for Saturday, April 9, has been canceled due to unforeseen conditions which are beyond our control. We will work to identify an alternative date as well as alternative approaches to present the information which was scheduled on the April 9 agenda.

An extended question and answer session has been scheduled for Friday. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and I hope that you are willing to work with us to reschedule or to present your information through an alternative format.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to

call or e-mail me or Brendan Corazzin of my staff

at 913-551-7429 or e-mail at

corazzon.brendan (a) epa . gov

Please reply to this e-mail to confirm that you have received this notice. Sincerely,

Altheà M. Moses

U.S. EPA Region 7

901 North 5th Street

Kansas City, KS 66101

ph: 913-551-7649 fax: 913-551-7941

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Urban Agriculture Workshop

Dates: FRIDAY & SATURDAY ~ April 8-9, 2011
April 8: 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
April 9: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Location: Kansas City Public Library - Plaza Branch in the Cohen Center

Subject: Learn about urban gardening on vacant lots and brownfields in
your neighborhood. Presentations will provide information on:
Addressing Potential Contamination,
Best Management Practices,
Gardening Basics,
Raised Beds,
Soil Health, and More!

Cost: FREE!!

RSVP: Please contact Brendan Corazzin to confirm your attendance or to
get more information at: corazzin.brendan (a) epa . gov ~ 800-223-0425 ~

Please share this information with others who may want to attend.

URBAN AGRICULTURE & BROWNFIELDS ¤ EPA WORKSHOP
Friday-Saturday, 8-9 April 2011, 6:00pm-8:30pm Fri., 8:30am-3:30pm Sat. - FREE
Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City MO 64112

Urban brownfields are sites that have suffered some sort of contamination, though a site may have only physical hazards such as construction debris. Abandoned commercial sites may or may not be contaminated, and often are default candidates for potential community gardens. So before being used for food production, suspected brownfields should be assessed for presence of contaminants, and if so, evaluated for clean-up.

The EPA has selected the City of Kansas City for a brownfields assessment coalition grant. They are reviewing a 150-square-block area of Kansas City that contains about 185 brownfield sites, including filling stations, salvage yards, and commercial and light manufacturing facilities. About 25 percent of the properties in this zone are vacant lots Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet: Kansas City, MO.

This Brownfield Workshop will cover topics such as: soil conditions and soil preparation, plant selection taking into consideration soil conditions, water resources, and gardening best practices. For more information or to reserve your seat please contact Brendan Corazzin at (913)551-7429 or
corazzin.brendan (a) epa . gov

SAN - 2011-04-05 - Sustainability Action Network - Announcements - Greater KC via Kaw River Valley (Lawrence, KS ~ K.C.))

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

5 April 2011

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SUBSCRIBER NOTICE

Starting in May, these Weekly Announcements will come to you via an "auto-subscribe/auto-send" system that will better serve you with the latest event updates, sustainability news and S.A.N. communications. We will completely switch over to the new mail system starting in May.

If you want to continue receiving the Sustainability Announcements, you will need to click here - Update your subscription to the Sustainability Announcements. Enter your name and e-mail address, and follow the instructions. The system will send you a confirmation message with a "Confirmation Link" which you MUST click in order to complete your subscription confirmation. If you don't get the confirmation message, check in your junk mail folder for blocked as spam.

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SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY ¤ Earth Day Booth for S.A.N.
If you want to help staff our Earth Day booth, call our Volunteer Coordinator, Maryam Hjersted, at (913)723-3636
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PEAK OIL & A CHANGING CLIMATE ¤ YOU-TUBE VIDEO SERIES
Wednesdays, up through 6 April 2011, on your computer
current video: Breaking Free From Factory Farms | #12 with Joel Salatin

Peak Oil is the point at which petroleum extraction reaches its greatest rate just before going into perpetual decline. This excellent series is scheduled to end on 6 April.

On Wednesday, 6 April, John Ikerd will appear in interview #13 of the Peak Oil and a Changing Climate | video series. John Ikerdd is a Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He is an advocate of relocalization, rural revitalization and sustainable farming practices using what he calls "solar powered renewable energy machines" - plants. He has said that "A sustainable agriculture must be ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible."
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FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ¤ DAY 25 UPDATE

Last week there were glimmers of optimism because electric supply had been restored at the reactor control rooms, giving potential to operate instrumentation, monitor reactor function and power coolant pumps. However, things seemed to have already progressed beyond TEPCO's control. The following assessment is rather frightening, to say the least.

The Japanese government has had a level 7 nuclear disaster going for almost a week but won’t admit it. The disaster is occurring the opposite way than Chernobyl, which exploded and stopped the reaction. At Fukushima, the reactions are getting worse. It is suspected that three nuclear piles are in meltdown . If reactor 3 is in meltdown, the concrete under the containment looks like lava. But Fukushima is not far off the water table. When that molten mass of self-sustaining nuclear material gets to the water table it won’t simply cool down. It will explode – not a nuclear explosion, but probably enough to involve the rest of the reactors and fuel rods at the facility - 'Worse Than Chernobyl': When the Fukushima Meltdown Hits Groundwater.

TEPCO has detected an 8-inch crack in the concrete pit holding power cables near reactor No. 2 which had 100% of its core fully exposed for about 2 hours. Highly radioactive water is coming directly from the reactor. Last Thursday, the latest data showed groundwater containing radioactive iodine 10,000 times the legal threshold and the concentration of radioactive iodine-131 in nearby seawater rising to the highest level yet. Crews tried to plug the leak with concrete, but in a reactor going critical, concrete will simply melt - Concrete fails to plug leak at Fukushima nuclear plant.

Dr. Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist at C.U.N.Y., has suggested that TEPCO is overwhelmed, and should be replaced with a team of international nuclear scientists and engineers, aided by access to the Japanese military. He also has suggested that they take the "Chernobyl Option" of using enough sand, boric acid, and concrete to smother these reactors, to entomb them forever, like the Russians did with 5000 tons of concrete over Chernobyl - I Would Recommend the "Chernobyl Option".

A comprehensive source of world and U.S. nuclear news is the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. The site includes news and updates, with especially good assessment of the conflicting reports from Japan. They offer fact sheets, data interpretation, commentary, and action alerts.
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URBAN FOOD FOREST GARDEN ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2312 A
Wednesdays, 6 &13 April 2011, 2 lectures, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 24th & Charlotte Streets, Kansas City MO
Saturday, 16 April 2011, hands-on planting, 2:00-5:00pm
Food forest site, 43rd & McGee Streets, Kansas City MO

Learn small scale urban food forest design and hands-on planting skills as we help develop a food forest at 43rd & McGee. Learn how to mimic the structure and function of forest ecosystems using sheet mulching, layering, planting patterns, species diversity, guilds and more. We will cover proper planning techniques for tree, shrubs and fruit. Two theory sessions and a hands on planting workshop. Class registration fee of $14, plus bring $10 to class for materials. Register at UMKC Communiversity. More info at Food Not Lawns KC, or <steve@prairietrading.com>.
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PERMACULTURE FOOD PRODUCTION: POLYCULTURE GARDENS ¤ 6TH LECTURE
Friday, 8 April 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$$
Dreher 4-H Building, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66044

This sixth session will describe how polyculture gardens go beyond simple companion planting to enhance and maintain soil nutrients, and increase yields while minimizing labor. The system relies on growing annual and perennial plants in dynamic association, with an emphasis on no-till, raised-bed methods. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of the film "The Synergistic Garden" with Emelia Hazelip.

Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center is teaching this Design Certification Course with assistance from Michael Almon and Michael Morley. Preregistration is required, and a percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or <smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
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URBAN AGRICULTURE & BROWNFIELDS ¤ EPA WORKSHOP
Friday-Saturday, 8-9 April 2011, 6:00pm-8:30pm Fri., 8:30am-3:30pm Sat. - FREE
Plaza Branch Library, 4801 Main St., Kansas City MO 64112

Urban brownfields are sites that have suffered some sort of contamination, though a site may have only physical hazards such as construction debris. Abandoned commercial sites may or may not be contaminated, and often are default candidates for potential community gardens. So before being used for food production, suspected brownfields should be assessed for presence of contaminants, and if so, evaluated for clean-up.

The EPA has selected the City of Kansas City for a brownfields assessment coalition grant. They are reviewing a 150-square-block area of Kansas City that contains about 185 brownfield sites, including filling stations, salvage yards, and commercial and light manufacturing facilities. About 25 percent of the properties in this zone are vacant lots Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet: Kansas City, MO.

This Brownfield Workshop will cover topics such as: soil conditions and soil preparation, plant selection taking into consideration soil conditions, water resources, and gardening best practices. For more information or to reserve your seat please contact Brendan Corazzin at (913)551-7429 or corazzin.brendan@epa.gov
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KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWS THIS WEEK
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/

Friday, 8 April, 9:30am ¤ Bioneers Radio Series
Bioneers presents another program in their award winning series.

Eco-Radio KC has been RESCHEDULED to Monday evenings.
Monday, 11 April, 6:00pm ¤ locally produced
Host John Kurmann will talk with Amanda Graor, Senior Air Quality Planner of the Mid-America Regional Council, and Stephanie Cole, Associate Regional Representative of the Kansas Sierra Club, about pollution in Kansas City's air and what we need to do to clean it up. How is our health affected by our choices of transportation, of when we refuel our cars, or how we mow the lawn or barbecue?
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"CARBON NATION" FILM ¤ CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS
Tuesday, 12 April 2011 - FREE
12:30pm, Carlsen Center Room 211
7:15pm, General Education Building Room 233
Johnson County Community College, Quivera & College Blvd., Overland Park KS 66210

Carbon Nation is a film of optimistic, non-preachy solutions that show tackling climate change boosts the economy, increases national & energy security and promotes health & a clean environment. It provides an entertaining, informed and pragmatic primer about why it’s incredibly smart to be a part of the low-carbon economy: it’s good business.

The director, Peter Byck, will be at the screenings for Q & A as part of a nation-wide live streaming to colleges and universities. Watch the trailer at Carbon Nation - trailer. For more info, call (913)469-8500 X2883, or e-mail <sustainability@jccc.edu>.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS

The April agenda is unavailable to date. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/envadvisoryboard
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO

The Environmental Management Commission promotes environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the City's leader and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas City toward sustainability. The general public is encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and participate in its efforts. More information and the EMC April 2009 minutes are available at http://www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/emc
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K.U. ENERGY CONFERENCE
Thursday, 14 April 2011, 9:00am-4:30pm - $$ (students attend FREE)
Oread Hotel, 12th & Indiana St., Lawrence KS 66044

Governor Brownback will be there, as well as former Shell Oil President, John Hofmeister. Conference keynoter Hofmeister now heads Citizens for Affordable Energy, an "all-of-the-above" energy group, from which he champions the "Four Mores". Among the lineup that predominantly represent coal utilities, oil refineries, bio-fuels, and smart grids are a couple redeeming panelists: Matt Gilhousen, Senior Vice President at TradeWind Energy, and Jeff Risley, Director of the Climate and Energy Project. For more info go to KU Energy Conference.
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THE PROBLEMS WITH SMART GRIDS

Considering how smart grids have the potential to increase energy consumption, endanger the environment, harm public health, diminish privacy, make the national utility grid more insecure, cause job losses, and make energy markets more speculative, how is it savvy environmentalists are buying into this eco-health-safety-finance debacle?

Smart grids send two-way digital communications over the power transmission lines as well as wireless relay stations along the way. A central utility can continually monitor electric demand house-to-house, and if they cannot keep pace with demand, they can remotely shut off appliances within houses. At a time when radiofrequency radiation (RF) is becoming a major health concern, smart metering will turn every single appliance into the equivalent of a transmitting cell phone. The average U.S. home has over 15 such appliances (dishwasher, microwave oven, stove, washing machine, clothes dryer, air conditioner, furnace, refrigerator, freezer, coffee maker, TV, computer, printer, and fax machine), each of which would be equipped with a transmitting antenna. All appliances will transmit wireless data with peak power bursts far above current safety standards.

And that’s just the indoor part. On the outside of each building, the Smart Meter will transmit at a more powerful wireless frequency to a central hub installed in local neighborhoods. And RF exposure from house-to-house signals could accumulate from possibly 100-to-500 of your neighbors’ as well.

Grid vulnerability is an issue as well. Security consultant Mike Davis of IOActive, Inc/Seattle has shown how easy it is to install computer worms that can take over the whole grid, and such worms can be programmed to alter billing information, or gather information on electricity use for sale to third parties. Smart Grids offer new opportunities for electronic trespass. Plus, do you really want the utilities remotely-controlling your appliances?

Smart systems can wreak havoc with electronics too. People are complaining of ceiling fans turning on in the middle of the night, speeds spontaneously changing, and circuit boards burning up. A few meters have exploded. Others have fried electronics. Fires have started. And ironically, smart meters don't even "run backwards" if you want to sell excess solar PV electricity back into the grid.

Germany's Environment Ministry issued a warning to German citizens to avoid wireless technology when possible and return to cabled means of communication. The French national library banned Wi-Fi in libraries when librarians became ill. The U.K.’s Association of Teachers and Lecturers came out against Wi-Fi in classrooms. Sweden has declared some beaches and public buildings RF-free areas where cell phones and wireless computers cannot be used. Spanish activists hold an annual International Day Against Electromagnetic Pollution. British and Irish citizens have taken to civil disobedience, bulldozing down cell towers.

A truly intelligent way to help an aging infrastructure does exist. Using closed cables, fiber optic boasts no environmental RF exposures, no dirty electricity, is resistant to sabotage and weather disruptions, and provides TV and high-speed Internet. For $11 billion, the U.S. could bring fiber optic to every home just as Japan has done. Read the full article at The Problems with Smart Grids.
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LAWRENCE EARTH DAY ¤ PARADE & SOUTH PARK CELEBRATION
Saturday, 16 April 2011, 11:00am parade, 11:30-4:00pm park festival

The Lawrence Earth Day Parade begins at the Train Park, and is sponsored by K.U. Environs - http://groups.ku.edu/~environs/ The Earth Day Celebration will be held in South Park, and is sponsored by the City of Lawrence Waste Reduction & Recycling Department - Earth Day Celebration 2011. The celebration in the park features live music, children’s activities and food vendors. Attendees are invited to learn from exhibits about waste reduction, recycling, composting, alternative fuels and vehicles, energy conservation, land preservation, wildlife and habitat preservation, and more.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETING
Sunday, 17 April 2011, 6:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence KS

Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
Organizing societal scale action in our personal lives, and through public policy changes.
The meeting agenda will include:

• Annual Giving Campaign report
  
• Growers' Land Trust Community Garden
  
• S.A.N. social media - policy proposal
  
• Earth Day booth staffing volunteers
  
• community workshops: super adobe, solar food dehydrator, cold frames, rain barrels, etc.
  
• S.A.N.web site: list-serve, content, pay pal, etc.
  

Please join us
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DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
Monday, 18 April 2011, 7:00pm
Fire Station #5, Iowa & 19th Streets, Lawrence, KS 66046

The Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will support local producers, preserve local agricultural resources and land, and create more local jobs, the F.P.C. hopes to improve the community’s access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to Dg County Food Policy Council.
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"ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS" ¤ A FILM OF SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSITION
Wednesday, 20 April 2011, 7:00pm - $
Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044

This film brings a positive message about how a grassroots movement for localization is bubbling up from the cracks of a faltering global economy in every corner of the world. It is produced by Helena Norberg-Hodge of the International Society for Ecology and Culture, a not-for-profit working for the strengthening of local communities and economies, emphasizing education for action, moving beyond single issues to look at the more fundamental influences that shape our lives. Preview it here - The Economics of Happiness trailer, brought by Films for Action.

"This film presents the localization movement as a systemic alternative to corporate globalization, and a strategy that brings community and meaning to our lives." - Joanna Macy, author World as Lover, World as Self.

"A remarkable new documentary... Get a copy of this DVD. Then get the kids. Pull them away from their smartphones and video games... And show them this movie." - Russell Mokhiber, editor of The Corporate Crime Reporter
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"END/CIV" FILM SCREENING
Friday, 22 April 2011, 6:00pm - FREE
McCoy Meetin’ House, Park University, 8700 NW River Park Dr., Parkville MO 64152

If you've heard of this film, you will probably want to be there. If you haven't, you may want to learn about it. It features Derek Jensen, author of "A Culture of Make Believe", "A Language Older Than Words", and "End Game". The film presents the folly of industrial hubris and unsustainable growth, eco-centric indigenous resistance, and mainstream political indifference, and challenges the physical and spiritual viability of industrial civilization. While the information is compelling, and the urgency for action is obvious, Jensen's solutions tend to focus on ending civilization rather than transitioning to a re-emergent ecological society. Click here to watch the END:CIV trailer. After the screening there will be free refreshments, a discussion of the film and what community activities may be desirable.
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INTRODUCTION TO PERMACULTURE ¤ ONE DAY INTENSIVE
Saturday, 23 April 2011, 9:00am-4:00pm - $$
Flint Hills Technical College, 3301 W. 18th Ave, Emporia, KS 66801

This is a one day intensive on permaculture principles taught by Ben Stallings of the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, and holder of a Permaculture Design Certificate. Students will be introduced to ecological principles and learn how to apply them to their garden, home or workplace, will create a design of their own, and will receive constructive feedback from the other students and the instructor. Fore more info go to Introduction to Permaculture Design - 23 April 2011.
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PERMACULTURE DESIGN SERIES WITH WARREN BRUSH ¤ DISCOUNT DEADLINE
Saturday, 30 April 2011 - $$$

Warren Brush is returning to Lawrence to teach a four day Advanced Permaculture Design course. The series will be from 17-21 May, but you need to register NOW to receive the discount. To register and get more info, e-mail at <karlinfamilyfarms@gmail.com> or call (785) 371-4700.
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MYCORRHIZAL SOIL BIOREMEDIATION WORKSHOP
Saturday, 30 April 2011, 10:00am-1:00pm - $$
12th Street Homestead, 1145 Pennsylvania St., Lawrence KS 66044

This hands-on workshop will address concerns of cleaning up contaminated soils in urban brownfields, specifically for urban food gardeners. With special guest speaker, Trish Jackson PhD. Mycelia are the filamentous organism present in all soils for which mushrooms are the fruiting body. Paul Stamets of Fungi Perfecti calls mycelia the "grand dissemblers of nature" because they break down complex substances into simpler components. And that's how mycelia remove contaminants from soil, including petroleum byproducts, plastic residues, PCBs and even dioxin. Come with appropriate gardening attire. Please RSVP at <12sthomestead@gmail.com>.

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The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Mail checks to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044.

Our mission is to advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at <paradigm@ixks.com>

Our current projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal-level Peak Oil response planning.
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for polyculture sustainable food production.
3) Eco Village Land Trust - Designing and focalizing a sustainable intentional community near Lawrence.
4) Growers' Land Trust - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
6) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
7) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
8) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized renewable energy and conservation.
9) Collaboration with sister organizations - such as: The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.

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We welcome suggestions for items to be included. Please send items to <paradigm@ixks.com>

To subscribe to this list, please send an e-mail to <paradigm@ixks.com> with the subject line reading “subscribe to Sustainability Announcements”.

If you do not care to continue on this announcements list, please respond "unsubscribe to Sustainability Announcements" at <paradigm@ixks.com>

"What Does the Farm Bill Have to Do With Me?"

There is a movement afoot to rename the "Farm Bill" the "Food Bill" so we can better understand that it affects every one of us - farmers and eaters alike. The food on our plates, where it came from, and how its production affects the environment are all shaped by the Farm Bill.

"What Does the Farm Bill Have to Do With Me?" A forum on the 2012 farm bill Thursday, April 28, 2011 6:00-7:30

Join the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition, and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment to learn about how the Farm Bill affects our community and what you can do to make sure your priorities are represented in the legislative process. All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church 4501 Walnut Street Kansas City, MO 64111 Thursday, April 28th, 2011 6:00 - 7:30 Speakers: Paul Johnson, farmer and lobbyist, Kansas Rural Center Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Director, Food Circles Project, University of Missouri Brad Redlin, Isaak Walton League Seating is limited, we encourage you to RSVP and reserve your seat by clicking HERE https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEo5c3NDQVdpNU12OFk0RGRNLVRKYlE6MQ

WE ARE ONE RALLY - Mill Creek Park - TODAY - Monday, April 4th, 2011

Monday, April 4, 2011

5:00 - 6:30p

MILL CREEK PARK

47th and Main

Kansas City, MO-

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he had gone to stand with sanitation workers demanding their dream: The right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life. The workers were trying to form a union with AFSCME.

Beginning with worship services over the April 1 weekend, and continuing through the week of April 4, unions, people of faith, civil and human rights activists, students and other progressive allies will host a range of community- and workplace-focused actions.

Join us in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for: the freedom to bargain, to vote, to afford a college education and justice for all workers, immigrant and native-born. It’s a day to show movement. Teach-ins. Vigils. Faith events. A day to be creative, but clear:

We are one.

Sponsored by KC Education Alliance

Interested in sponsoring? Send inquiries to

dberry7 (a) sbcglobal . net

PLEASE FORWARD

EAT LOCAL! & Organic - Annual Exhibition of Farmers - SHAWNEE, KS - SATURDAY, April 2nd, 2011

RAIN, SNOW or SHINE…
Kansas City Food Circle's
2011 EAT LOCAL! & Organic EXPO #2

April 2nd, 2011 @ 9am-2pm - in Shawnee, KS

KCFC’s 13TH Annual
Exhibition of Farmers
EAT LOCAL! (& Organic) Expos 2011

Hungry for the green of spring? Kick off the farmers market season at the Eat Local! (& Organic) expos. Meet and buy direct from local, organic farmers and vendors. Learn how to buy, preserve and dish up seasonal food in our free workshops. Snatch up early seedlings, fresh greens, free-range meat & eggs and our free local, organic producers directory. Get farmers market and CSA information. Admission and parking are free.

Note: The order of the expos changed this year. Independence (MO) was first… Shawnee (KS) is second.

Help us to get the word out…
…click on our FLYER for a BIG, printable .PDF! (2MB)

Saturday, April 2

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Shawnee Civic Center
13817 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, KS
(SW corner of Phlumm & Johnson Drive)

Join us for:

• Local, organic produce

• Free-range meat & eggs

• Vegetable seedlings

• CSA information & sign-up

• Free directory of local producers

• Free workshops

Free parking ~ Free admission

Free How-To Workshops at the Shawnee Expo

Buy It, Eat It! 9:30-10:30 a.m., Little Theatre, just inside the Civic Center’s main doors ~ ~ Learn how to buy direct from family farms using CSAs, farmers markets, buying clubs and co-ops from Season Burnett, Kansas City CSA Coalition Director, and Emily Akins, KCFC Co-Coordinator.

Can It, Freeze It! 11:00-12:00, Little Theatre, just inside the Civic Center’s main doors ~ ~ University of Missouri Extension Expert Karen Elliot shows you how to enjoy the fresh, delicious taste of local, organic food year-round. Bring your pressure canner gauges and the extension will check them for free during expo hours before and after the workshop. (Experts recommend you have your pressure canner gauges checked at least once per year.)

Dish It Up! 12:30-1:30 p.m., Little Theatre, just inside the Civic Center’s main doors ~ ~ Local Burger chef and owner Hilary Brown shares her delicious secrets for cooking local, organic fare at our Shawnee expo only.

We heartily thank our wonderful expo sponsors:

• Sierra Club

• FreshConnect.com

• Whole Foods Market Local Vendors Program

• Greens KC

• KKFI 90.1FM

• Food Circles Networking Project – Missouri Extension (MU)

• Growing Growers Kansas City

Kansas City Food Circle is a non-profit organization connecting local eaters and
local, organic, free-range growers for over 20 years.
Do you have questions about our programs, membership, donations,
volunteering or how to pick a ripe tomato?
Please contact us at coordinators (a) kcfoodcircle . org 913-620-8427

SAN - 2011-03-29 - Sustainability Action Network - Announcements - Greater KC via Kaw River Valley (Lawrence, KS)

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

29 March 2011

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SUBSCRIBER NOTICE
In order to better serve you with the latest event updates, sustainability news and S.A.N. communications, we will soon be switching over to an "auto-subscribe/auto-send" system. This new, high quality, e-mail system will provide you with complete control over changing e-mail addresses and subscription settings. We're very pleased with the rapid growth of our subscriber list, and we'd hate to lose you during the transition.

If you want to continue receiving the Sustainability Announcements, please click on this web page link - Update your subscription to the Sustainability Announcements. Enter your name and e-mail address, and follow the instructions. It's simple! Thanks!
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SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY ¤ Earth Day Booth for S.A.N.
If you want to help staff our Earth Day booth, call our Volunteer Coordinator, Maryam Hjersted, at (913)723-3636
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THREE MILE ISLAND PARTIAL CORE MELTDOWN ¤ 32 YEARS AGO
28 March 1979


A coolant failure in reactor #2 caused the worst U.S. commercial nuclear accident, releasing 43,000 curies of radioactive Krypton-85 gas. The reactor was designed by Babcock-Wilcox, and has been shut down ever since, though unit #1 is licensed to operate until 2034 - Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station - Wikipedia.
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KKFI COMMUNITY RADIO ¤ ECOLOGICAL SHOWS THIS WEEK
Listen at KKFI-FM 90.1, or web-streaming at http://www.kkfi.org/

Tuesday, 29 March, 12:00pm ¤ locally produced Eco-Radio KC
Host, Richard Mabion, will be talking with John Burris and Steve Mann about what level of community activism is needed to affect change in time to make a difference. It's a call-in show, so voice your views at (816)931-5534. RE-LISTEN TO KKFI's Eco-Radio PODCAST ARCHIVES AT http://TransitionKC.org/eco-radio

Thursday, 31 March, 12:00pm ¤ Law and Disorder Radio
Prof. Michel Chossudovsky explains that "Operation Libya" is part of the broader military agenda in the Middle East and Central Asia which consists in gaining control and corporate ownership over more than sixty percent of the world's reserves of oil and natural gas, including oil and gas pipeline routes - "Operation Libya" and the Battle for Oil: Redrawing the Map of Africa. within the guise of a humanitarian mandate, the underlying objective is to destabilize the National Oil Corporation (NOC) and eventually privatize the country's oil wealth into foreign corporate hands - Lybian Oil War: Law and Disorder Radio.

Friday, 1 April, 9:30am ¤ Bioneers Radio Series
Bioneers presents another program in their award winning series.

Saturday, 2 April, 2:30pm ¤ Women's International News Gathering Service
Maude Barlow, U.N. Senior Advisor on Water, describes the growing shortages of usable fresh water in the world and how a handful of corporations are being helped by the World Bank and IMF to control what's left. Struggles of desperate people have had some success against the privatizers, but our practices towards water must change - Blue Planet Project.
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PEAK OIL & A CHANGING CLIMATE ¤ YOU-TUBE VIDEO SERIES
Wednesdays, up through 6 April 2011, on your computer
current video: The Planet's Scarcest Resource Is Time with Lester Brown

Peak Oil is the point at which petroleum extraction reaches its greatest rate just before going into perpetual decline. This excellent series is now scheduled through 6 April.

On Wednesday, 30 March, Joel Salatin will appear in interview #12 of the Peak Oil and a Changing Climate | video series. Salatin operates Polyface Farms near Staunton VA, in the Central Shenandoah Valley. He calls himself a "grass farmer", because his techniques center on husbandry that builds the soil first, which in turn provides the best conditions for his livestock and crops. One of the main effects of building organic matter into his soil is a high level of carbon sequestration.
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FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ¤ DAY 18 UPDATE

On Sunday, 27 March, TEPCO reported that radiation levels of water leaking into the basement of Reactor #2 reached 10 million times higher than normal, but later apologized that the reading was incorrect. On Monday 28 March, they corrected the reading to "only" 100,000 times higher than normal, giving us cause for relief, right? - Radiation level spike from fuel rod partial meltdown. According to government spokesman, Yukio Edano, "The radiation seems to have come from fuel rods that temporarily melted down and came in contact with the water used to cool the reactor." Emergency workers near the contaminated water would have received four times their maximum annual dose of radiation in just one hour.

It's not only the Japanese who are alarmed, as a large anti-nuclear rally was held Sunday in Tokyo. Ripple effects are being felt around the world, most notably in Germany. Also on Sunday, the anti-nuke German Green Party scored a remarkable victory over chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. "Conservative governor Stefan Mappus, who has long been an advocate of nuclear energy, conceded defeat and said his party's lead in the polls dwindled away in the wake of the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear facility." - Anti-nuke Greens sailing to power in German state.

A comprehensive source of world and U.S. nuclear news is the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. The site includes news and updates, with especially good assessment of the conflicting reports from Japan. They offer fact sheets, data interpretation, commentary, and action alerts. ___________________________________________________

PALEY COMMISSION URGED SOLAR FOR U.S. ¤ IKE CHOSE "ATOMS FOR PEACE"

The 1952 Paley Commission, a blue-ribbon panel appointed by Pres. Truman, proposed that the US build the economy on solar energy sources, and offered a strong negative assessment of nuclear energy. Enamored by a notion of atomic sourced omnipotence, in 1953 Pres. Eisenhower instead chose Atoms for Peace. While subsidizing nuclear energy by an estimated $1 trillion from 1950-2007, the U.S. squandered 60 years potential for solar energy. And Obama as our "clean and green economy" President continues the same myopic policies. Obama has committed $8.33 billion in loan guarantees for two new reactors in Georgia, and he seeks $36 billion more - U.S. could have gone solar, but Ike chose 'atoms for peace'.

But follow the money. Obama postured in 2006 to reign in sloppy accident reporting by Excelon, the nation's largest nuclear power plant operator (including Three Mile Island). But Exelon executives have long been Obama campaign backers, including Chairman John W. Rowe, who serves as a key lobbyist for the nuclear energy industry, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars dating back to Obama's days in the Illinois State Legislature. Once again, in 2008, corporatist shill Obama got his fifth largest block of campaign contributions from Exelon. And though the rationale may be CO2 abatement, energy efficiency is far more cost effective than nuclear at reducing greenhouse gases, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute - Obama's Nuclear Dreams: Resurrecting a Noxious Industry.

And watch for this latest nuclear crisis to be manipulated as a rationale for more coal and natural gas - Feds to expand coal mining in Wyoming. Similarly, the past two years has seen the Obama administration reference climate change as the rationale for more nuclear power. As BP has trumpeted, more of all of it - oil, gas, coal, solar, wind, nuclear (disproportionately, of course).
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WAKARUSA WETLANDS RALLY TO SUPPORT COURT APPEAL OF TRAFFICWAY PERMIT
Thursday, 31 March 2011, 4:00pm-6:00pm
31st Street between Haskell Ave. & Louisiana Ave., Lawrence KS 66046

The Wakarusa Wetlands have been here for tens of thousands of years. The last remnant S.W. of 31st & Haskell Ave. (mistakenly called the Baker Wetlands) has been under threat of paving over by the South Lawrence Trafficway, and desecration of Native American sacred ground, for 25 years. That's the date when plans were drawn up in secret, by illegal meetings of the Lawrence City Commission and the Chamber of Commerce.

The road has been held at bay for 25 years by advocacy of citizens and Haskell University students, by challenges to the Environmental Impact Statements, and by two lawsuits. This rally is in support of the current lawsuit that has appealed the construction permit due to flaws in the Environmental Impact Statement. For background info go to Save the Wetlands.
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CULTIVATING SUSTAINABLE SOILS IN PERMACULTURE ¤ 5TH LECTURE
Friday, 1 April 2011, 6:00-9:00pm - $$$
Dreher 4-H Building, 2110 Harper St., Lawrence KS 66044

This fifth session will examine basic soil types, their chemistry, nutrient cycling, and the dynamics of soil organism interaction. Also covered will be the basics of building productive soils without petrochemical inputs, and innovative soil amendments including biodynamic techniques. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of part two of the Geoff Lawton film "Introduction to Permaculture Design".

Steve Moring of Vajra Farm Permaculture Center is teaching this Design Certification Course with assistance from Michael Almon and Michael Morley. Preregistration is required, and a percentage of the fees will support the Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and it's parent organization, the Sustainability Action Network. For more info go to Kaw Permaculture Collaborative, or contact Steve Moring at (785)691-7305 or <smoring@grasshoppernet.com>.
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KANSAS CITY "EAT LOCAL & ORGANIC FOOD EXPO", 13th ANNUAL
Saturday, 2 April 2011, 9:30am-2:30pm - FREE
Shawnee Civic Centre, Phlumm & Johnson Dr, Shawnee KS

There will be local growers of organic and free range produce selling their wares, including garden plant starts, as well as free organic gardening information and free 2011 Producers Directory. There will be a free workshop on CSA's and Organic Farmers Markets, food preservation, and cooking demonstrations.

Both Food Expos are free admission with free parking and free music. More information on the KC Food Circle and the two food expositions can be found at Kansas City Eat Local Food Expo or email COORDINATORS@KCFoodCircle.org
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FRUIT TREE GRAFTING SEMINAR
Saturday, 2 April 2011, 10:00am - $
Forest Floor Permaculture, 1311 Prairie Ave., Lawrence KS 66044

This demonstration seminar will be hosted by Forest Floor Permaculture and taught by members of the Lawrence Fruit Tree Project. Byron Wiley and Skyler Adamson of the Lawrence Fruit Tree Project will describe the stages of grafting including: root stock types and characteristics, collecting and storing scion wood, and graft types like bench grafting or live tree grafting or stump grafting. Then they will make several grafts of apple and pear trees, showing the techniques for incision, closure, and sealing the graft. If raining, seminar will be inside. For more info contact Michael Almon at <paradigm@ixks.com> 785-832-1300, or Byron Wiley at <bwiley@sbcglobal.net> 785-841-2829.
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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CAN FEED THE WORLD ¤ UN REPORT

For years now, the most-asked question by detractors of the local and organic food movement has been, “Can organic agriculture feed the world?” According to a new United Nations report, the answer is a big, fat yes. The report, Agroecology and the right to food, released on 8 March 2011, reveals that small-scale sustainable farming would even double food production within five to 10 years in places where the most hungry people on the planet live.

The report suggests moving away from the overuse of oil in farming, a problem that is magnified in the face of rising prices due to peak oil. The focus is instead on "agroecology, or eco-farming, which seeks to improve the sustainability of agroecosystems by mimicking nature instead of industry,” reads a section. Industrial agriculture requires about 20% of total energy used in developed nations, and a greater percent in developing nations.

"U.S. foreign policy in agriculture up until now has been to force countries to accept our subsidized crops, even if it meant destroying local agricultural economies. Former President Bill Clinton apologized for this policy last year, saying that it has 'failed everywhere it’s been tried' " - UN Report: Eco-Farming Can Feed the World.

While there is a burgeoning local-organic-urban food movement growing in industrial societies, developing nations are also revitalizing their traditional agricultural practices, and enhancing them with techniques from permaculture as well. In india, Vandana Shiva, a longtime critic of corporate globalization, has founded the organic Bija Vidyapeeth Center to teach courses in topics such as sustainable farming, herbal medicines, seed saving, and more. The main aim of the Navdanya (Nine Crops) Program is to support local farmers, rescue and conserve crops and plants from extinction, the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge, create awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defend people's crop knowledge from biopiracy, and defend food rights in the face of globalisation - Introduction to Navdanya at Bija Vidyapeeth Center, and Navdanya Courses in 2011.
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HIKE THE WAKARUSA WETLANDS ¤ SIERRA CLUB OUTING
Saturday, 2 April 2011, 10:00am - FREE
31st Street north entrance to boardwalk, Lawrence KS 66046

Come experience the beauty of the Wakarusa Wetlands firsthand as naturalists lead us on guided tours. Open to the public, whether Sierra Club member or not. Contact - Melissa Rogers (785)764-0826, <mmrogers816@gmail.com>
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URBAN FOOD FOREST GARDEN ¤ COMMUNIVERSITY CLASS #2312 A
Wednesdays, 6 &13 April 2011, 2 lectures, 7:00-9:00pm - $$
UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, 24th & Charlotte Streets, Kansas City MO
Saturday, 16 April 2011, hands-on planting, 2:00-5:00pm
Food forest site, 43rd & McGee Streets, Kansas City MO

Learn small scale urban food forest design and hands-on planting skills as we help develop a food forest at 43rd & McGee. Learn how to mimic the structure and function of forest ecosystems using sheet mulching, layering, planting patterns, species diversity, guilds and more. We will cover proper planning techniques for tree, shrubs and fruit. Two theory sessions and a hands on planting workshop. Class registration fee of $14, plus bring $10 to class for materials. Register at UMKC Communiversity. More info at Food Not Lawns KC, or <steve@prairietrading.com>.
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"CARBON NATION" FILM ¤ CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS
Tuesday, 12 April 2011 - FREE
12:30pm, Carlsen Center Room 211
7:15pm, General Education Building Room 233
Johnson County Community College, Quivera & College Blvd., Overland Park KS 66210

Carbon Nation is a film of optimistic, non-preachy solutions that show tackling climate change boosts the economy, increases national & energy security and promotes health & a clean environment. It provides an entertaining, informed and pragmatic primer about why it’s incredibly smart to be a part of the low-carbon economy: it’s good business.

The director, Peter Byck, will be at the screenings for Q & A as part of a nation-wide live streaming to colleges and universities. Watch the trailer at Carbon Nation - trailer. For more info, call (913)469-8500 X2883, or e-mail <sustainability@jccc.edu>.
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LAWRENCE SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 5:30pm
Recycling and Resource Recovery Annex, 320 N.E. Industrial Lane, Lawrence KS

The April agenda is unavailable to date. The S.A.B. meets monthly to discuss any and all aspects of furthering sustainability policies and practices by the City of Lawrence government and private persons. The public is welcome. Minutes are finalized in about a month after each meeting http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/envadvisoryboard
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KANSAS CITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION
Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 4:00-6:00pm
Mid America Regional Council, Rivergate Center 2nd floor, 600 Broadway, KC MO

The Environmental Management Commission promotes environmental awareness and resource efficiency to the City's leader and staff, to assist the progress of Kansas City toward sustainability. The general public is encouraged to attend and observe meetings and to join and participate in its efforts. More information and the EMC April 2009 minutes are available at http://www.kcmo.org/manager.nsf/web/emc
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LAWRENCE EARTH DAY ¤ PARADE & SOUTH PARK CELEBRATION
Saturday, 16 April 2011, 11:00am parade, 11:30-4:00pm park festival

The Lawrence Earth Day Parade begins at the Train Park, and is sponsored by K.U. Environs - http://groups.ku.edu/~environs/ The Earth Day Celebration will be held in South Park, and is sponsored by the City of Lawrence Waste Reduction & Recycling Department - Earth Day Celebration 2011. The celebration in the park features live music, children’s activities and food vendors. Attendees are invited to learn from exhibits about waste reduction, recycling, composting, alternative fuels and vehicles, energy conservation, land preservation, wildlife and habitat preservation, and more.
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SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK - MONTHLY MEETING
Sunday, 17 April 2011, 6:00pm
location TBA, Lawrence KS

Local Solutions for Transition to a Sustainable Economy
Organizing societal scale action in our personal lives, and through public policy changes.
The meeting agenda will include:

• Annual Giving Campaign report
  
• Growers' Land Trust Community Garden
  
• S.A.N. social media - policy proposal
  
• Earth Day booth staffing volunteers
  
• community workshops: super adobe, solar food dehydrator, cold frames, rain barrels, etc.
  
• S.A.N.web site: list-serve, content, pay pal, etc.
  

Please join us
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DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL
Monday, 18 April 2011, 7:00pm
Fire Station #5, Iowa & 19th Streets, Lawrence, KS 66046

The Food Policy Council seeks to identify the benefits, challenges and opportunities for a successful, sustainable local food system. By advising the Douglas County Commission on public policies that will support local producers, preserve local agricultural resources and land, and create more local jobs, the F.P.C. hopes to improve the community’s access to a local food supply and distribution networks. For more info go to Dg County Food Policy Council.
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"ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS" ¤ A FILM OF SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSITION
Wednesday, 20 April 2011, 7:00pm - $
Liberty Hall, 642 Massachusetts St., Lawrence KS 66044

This film brings a positive message about how a grassroots movement for localization is bubbling up from the cracks of a faltering global economy in every corner of the world. It is produced by Helena Norberg-Hodge of the International Society for Ecology and Culture, a not-for-profit working for the strengthening of local communities and economies, emphasizing education for action, moving beyond single issues to look at the more fundamental influences that shape our lives. Preview it here - The Economics of Happiness trailer, brought by Films for Action.

"This film presents the localization movement as a systemic alternative to corporate globalization, and a strategy that brings community and meaning to our lives." - Joanna Macy, author World as Lover, World as Self.

"A remarkable new documentary... Get a copy of this DVD. Then get the kids. Pull them away from their smartphones and video games... And show them this movie." - Russell Mokhiber, editor of The Corporate Crime Reporter

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The SUSTAINABILITY ACTION NETWORK, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) tax-exempt organization. DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Mail checks to P.O.Box 1064, Lawrence KS 66044.

Our mission is to advocate and organize societal scale action to address sustainability issues. The triple crises of Energy-Ecology-Economy are building so rapidly that large scale action is needed immediately and methodically to overcome institutional barriers and advance public policy that preserves ecological sustainability. Our focus is to build a relocalized economy-ecology in concert with the Transition Town movement occurring in many other communities. To join the Sustainability Action Network please contact us at <paradigm@ixks.com>

Our current projects include:
1) Transition Kaw Valley - initiating transition to a relocalized post-carbon economy, and municipal-level Peak Oil response planning.
2) Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and Kansas Permaculture Institute - developing skills and resources for polyculture sustainable food production.
3) Eco Village Land Trust - Designing and focalizing a sustainable intentional community near Lawrence.
4) Growers' Land Trust - organizing interested stakeholders to acquire prime farmland in the urban fringe for land-based economic development and regional food security.
5) Weekly Sustainability Announcements - informing and encouraging others to become active in the Sustainability Action Network, or other action driven groups.
6) Water Rights and Watersheds - protecting the water commons, the source of all life, from privatization and contamination, and restoring our watersheds.
7) Electric & Human Powered Vehicles - promoting neighborhood electric vehicles and utility tricycles, including infrastructure and pro-active regulations.
8) Energy Conservation & Renewables - advancing a green economy through decentralized renewable energy and conservation.
9) Collaboration with sister organizations - such as: The Light Center eco-village; Kaw Valley Food System farm-based economic development; Citizens for Responsible Planning; Films for Action; Kansas River Valley Growers fighting for local water rights; national efforts by the Sustainable Energy Network; KC Metro groups like the Kansas City Food Circle and the All Species Project, etc.

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We welcome suggestions for items to be included. Please send items to <paradigm@ixks.com>

To subscribe to this list, please send an e-mail to <paradigm@ixks.com> with the subject line reading “subscribe to Sustainability Announcements”.

If you do not care to continue on this announcements list, please respond "unsubscribe to Sustainability Announcements" at <paradigm@ixks.com>